Afghanistan: Roulement

Lord Drayson: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Des Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	As with any military operation, those forces assigned to operations in Afghanistan are subject to periodic rotation. Preparations for the next such rotation are under way now. These build on the progress we have made in Helmand in the six months since 10 July 2006 when I informed the House of our current deployments in Afghanistan. Our military effort is a part of the United Nations' authorised and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
	The UK will hand over command of the ISAF on 4 February 2007 and the Command Group of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will then return to its base at Rheindalen. In its place, the UK will provide some 140 personnel for the new ISAF Headquarters now forming in Kabul, leading to an overall reduction of the UK presence in the city of around 500 troops.
	In the south, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, will complete its tour in April 2007. It will be replaced by units drawn principally from 12 Mechanised Brigade. We have also decided to maintain until April 2009 some capabilities already deployed, including the Harrier GR7/GR9s, the Apache attack helicopters, Viking all-terrain vehicles, and Royal Engineers to support reconstruction activities. By the late summer, personnel numbers in southern Afghanistan should settle at around 5,800.
	The principal units to deploy are: the Brigade Headquarters and its Signal Squadron, the Light Dragoons, the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards, the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, The 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, 26 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers, 19 Regiment Royal Artillery, 2 Signal Regiment Royal Signals, 4 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, and 4 General Support Medical Regiment Royal Army Medical Corps.
	Elements of other units are also deploying to provide niche capabilities. These include: the Armoured Support Group of the Royal Marines, the Light Dragoons, the Second Royal Tank Regiment; 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps; 9 Regiment, Army Air Corps; 1(Fighter), IV (Army Co-Operation), 18, 24, 27, 30, 47 and 70 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, 3, 5 and 7 Force Protection Wing Headquarters, Royal Air Force, and 2, 51 and 15 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force Regiment.
	As with previous deployments to Afghanistan, there will be a requirement to deploy reservists to serve in theatre. Current plans indicate that around 600 call-out notices are to be served on individual reservists in order to fill approximately 420 posts (including nine sponsored reserve).
	All military operations are subject to regular review. Work on the balance of NATO's commitment in Afghanistan is underway and I intend to discuss this with my NATO colleagues when we next meet on 8-9 February. I shall keep the House informed of progress and any implications for the UK's own force structures.

Deportation: Lebanon

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My honourable friend the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety (Mr Tony McNulty) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	As the House is aware, the Government have been negotiating bilateral international instruments on deportation with assurances (DWA) with a number of countries in north Africa and the Middle East. To date memoranda of understanding (MoUs) have been signed with Jordan (10 August 2005), Libya (18 October 2005) and Lebanon (23 December 2005). We have reached agreement on separate arrangements with Algeria.
	These MoUs on DWA provide a framework for assurances to be sought to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals that pose a threat to the national security of the United Kingdom to their countries of origin in accordance with internationally accepted standards, in particular Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment).
	Monitoring is one element of these arrangements aimed at providing effective safeguards against ill treatment of those being returned. Monitoring bodies have already been appointed in respect of returns to Jordan and Libya under the MoUs agreed with those countries. I am now pleased to inform the House of the appointment of the Institute of Human Rights (IHR) as the monitoring body in relation to returns to Lebanon. The contract for this appointment was signed on Friday 5 January 2007.
	The Institute for Human Rights is a non-governmental body within the independent Beirut Bar Association. The IHR has experience in the monitoring of human rights and we believe that it will carry out its monitoring role under the MoU fully and robustly. We have offered the IHR capacity-building support as it prepares for its role as monitor.

Energy: Offshore Extraction

Lord Truscott: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Alistair Darling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	After thorough consideration of 147 applications made in the 24th offshore licensing round, I have decided to offer 150 production licences. This makes the 24th round one of the most successful in history, which demonstrates the continuing attractiveness both of the United Kingdom continental shelf as an oil-producing province and of the DTI's licensing system.
	In addition to the strategic environmental assessment (SEA), which I described in my Statement to the House when I invited applications for the 24th licensing round, my officials have conducted an appropriate assessment (AA) as required by the habitats and birds directives. I have accepted the conclusions of this AA which concerns those blocks offered as part of the 24th licensing round excluding blocks 17/3, 106/30, 107/21 and 107/22. These four blocks were excluded because the consultation on the draft AA raised questions about the impact of possible oil and gas related activities on marine mammals within particular areas close to the blocks. After consideration it became apparent that more time should be taken to consider these issues and I have therefore instructed my officials to commission further work on the sensitivities of these areas and to prepare a second AA for them. This second AA will then be subject to a further period of public consultation before I make a final decision on the four blocks concerned. The awards to be made now are summarised in the table below.
	
		
			 Annexe 1: Summary of Awards 
			 Offers of Licence Awards 
			 Block(s) in offered Licences* Operator* Partners Licence Type 
			 22/12b Apache  Traditional 
			 3/29c & 9/4b Apache  Traditional 
			 9/9f (Split) Apache  Traditional 
			 22/25d BG (CNS)  Traditional 
			 23/27b BG (CNS)  Traditional 
			 110/13c (Split) BHP Billiton  Traditional 
			 110/15b BHP Billiton  Promote 
			 22/11b Bow Valley  Traditional 
			 42/27b Boz Enterprises Geosolutions Promote 
			 44/14 & 44/15 Bridge E & P Transco Resources Promote 
			 47/20a Bridge E & P Transco Resources Promote 
			 48/24d Bridge E & P Transco Resources Promote 
			 48/27 Bridge E & P Transco Resources Promote 
			 22/13b Carrizo Oilexco Traditional 
			 110/9b (Split) & 110/14b (Split) Challenger Minerals Providence Resources, Atlantic Petroleum, Dyas, First Oil Traditional 
			 21/13b Challenger Minerals Palace Exploration Traditional 
			 21/7a Challenger Minerals Palace Exploration Traditional 
			 41/10b Challenger Minerals Palace Exploration Traditional 
			 214/2, 214/3, 214/4b (Split), 216/28 Chevron Talisman, Maersk Frontier 
			 216/30, 217/21, 217/22 & 217/26 Chevron Faroe Pet. Traditional 
			 29/27, 29/28, 29/29, 37/3 & 37/4 ConocoPhillips  Traditional 
			 9/9f (Split) Corsair  Promote 
			 16/18c Dana  Traditional 
			 21/17 (Split) Dana Venture Traditional 
			 208/11, 208/16 & 214/15 DONG Dana, GDF Britain Traditional 
			 21/16b Elixir Sosina, DNO Promote 
			 14/30a EnCore Endeavour, Lundin Heather, Nautical Pet. Plc Traditional 
			 18/10 (Part) & 19/6 (Part) EnCore  Promote 
			 16/8c (Split) Endeavour Lundin Heather, RWE Dea Traditional 
			 22/16b Endeavour Lundin Heather, RWE Dea Traditional 
			 3/5 & 3/10c Endeavour EnCore, Invicta North Sea Promote 
			 30/25a Endeavour  Traditional 
			 9/12d Engen  Promote 
			 110/13c (Split) & 110/14b (Split) EOG Resources Hunt Traditional 
			 110/7b & 110/12 EOG Resources Hunt Traditional 
			 109/5 & 112/30 Europa Oil & Gas Magrathean Ltd Promote 
			 16/1a & 16/6c Excelsior  Promote 
			 12/29 Faroe Pet.  Traditional 
			 204/16, 204/17, 204/21 (Split) & 204/22 (Split) Faroe Pet.  Promote 
			 56/13, 56/14, 56/19 & 56/20 Finavera  Promote 
			 47/14c First Oil  Promote 
			 53/3b First Oil  Traditional 
			 22/24c & 22/25c (Split) GDF Britain RWE Dea, E.ON Ruhrgas E & P, Endeavour Traditional 
			 44/13 (Split) GDF Britain Tullow, E.ON Ruhrgas Caister, Endeavour Traditional 
			 16/8c (Split) Genesis Petroleum Europe  Traditional 
			 21/1b, 21/2b & 21/3d Geosolutions Adams Resources, ACE Energy, Boz Enterprises Promote 
			 13/30c, 14/26c & 14/27b Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G Traditional 
			 16/11 (Split) Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G Traditional 
			 16/3f Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G Promote 
			 2/3 (Part) & 2/4b Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G, Nautical Pet. AG Promote 
			 34/30, 35/26, 40/5 & 41/1 Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G, TGS-NOPEC Promote 
			 47/13b, 47/18 & 47/23 (Split) Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G, TGS-NOPEC Traditional 
			 48/13c Granby Gas Plus E & P, Gas Plus O & G Promote 
			 28/24, 28/25, 29/21, 29/22 GTO Limited Fox Oil Promote 
			 28/30 & 29/26 GTO Limited Fox Oil Promote 
			 37/2 GTO Limited Fox Oil Promote 
			 110/4 & 110/9b (Split) Hannu Exploration  Promote 
			 43/19c & 43/24c Holywell Resources  Promote 
			 43/30c Holywell Resources  Promote 
			 49/14a Holywell Resources  Promote 
			 204/21 (Split), 204/22 (Split), 204/27, 204/28 & 204/29 Hurricane Sunshine Oil Frontier 
			 110/8b Hydrocarbon Resources  Traditional 
			 113/27b (Split) Hydrocarbon Resources  Traditional 
			 14/24a Iceni  Promote 
			 16/11 (Split) & 16/16 (Split) Iceni  Promote 
			 20/20 Iceni  Promote 
			 13/21d Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 14/17 (Split) Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 14/18c Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 48/9d Ithaca Energy EWE Aktien-gesellschaft Traditional 
			 49/28c Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 53/4e Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 53/4f Ithaca Energy  Traditional 
			 211/1, 211/2 & 211/3 Lundin Heather Genesis Exploration (North Sea) Frontier 
			 3/6b & 3/11c Lundin Heather  Traditional 
			 9/9e Lundin Heather Genesis Exploration (North Sea) Traditional 
			 15/20c & 16/16 (Split) Maersk Noble Energy Traditional 
			 15/25d Maersk  Traditional 
			 22/25c (Split) Maersk Eni, Nippon Traditional 
			 22/27c & 22/28c Maersk  Traditional 
			 3/30b, 4/26b & 10/1b Maersk  Traditional 
			 30/2b Maersk  Traditional 
			 30/3b Maersk BG Int. Ltd, Eni, Nippon Traditional 
			 12/12 & 12/13 Mariner  Promote 
			 113/29c & 113/30 Nautical Pet. Plc EnCore Traditional 
			 47/9d Newfield  Traditional 
			 48/12e Newfield  Traditional 
			 48/30b Newfield  Traditional 
			 110/18 (Part), 110/19 (Part) & 110/23 Nexen Island Gas Traditional 
			 15/28a (Split) Nexen  Traditional 
			 15/29d Nexen  Traditional 
			 21/17 (Split) & 21/18b Nexen  Traditional 
			 21/3e Nexen  Traditional 
			 15/23c, 15/24a (Split), 15/28a (Split) & 15/29e Nippon Hunt, Stratic, Britcana Traditional 
			 47/7 NWE Southern Cross Virgo Oil & Gas Promote 
			 13/14 & 13/15 Oilexco Faroe Pet. Promote 
			 13/20, 14/16, 14/17 (Split), 14/21b & 14/22b Oilexco Faroe Pet. Traditional 
			 28/9 & 28/10b (Split) Oilexco EnCore, Nautical Pet. Plc Traditional 
			 29/6b Oilexco  Traditional 
			 213/9, 213/10, 213/14 & 213/15 OMV Rocksource, Dana Frontier 
			 214/4b (Split), 214/5b, 214/8, 214/9b, 214/12 (Part), 214/13 (Part) & 214/14 (Part) OMV Rocksource, Dana Frontier 
			 214/6 & 214/7 Penguin  Promote 
			 13/24d Petro-Canada Reach Traditional 
			 211/17 Petrofac Don Development Traditional 
			 28/3b Petrofac  Traditional 
			 214/19 & 214/20 Plectrum  Promote 
			 15/24a (Split) & 15/25f Premier Oilexco Traditional 
			 110/3b Reach  Promote 
			 110/1 REAP UK  Promote 
			 110/5 REAP UK  Promote 
			 208/26 Rocksource  Promote 
			 28/15, 28/19, 28/20 & 29/11 Sable Energy  Promote 
			 30/20b Sable Energy  Promote 
			 43/1, 43/2 & 43/3 Scotsdale Valhalla, Spyker Promote 
			 43/5, 44/1, 44/2 & 44/3 Scotsdale Valhalla, Spyker Promote 
			 43/9, 43/10 & 44/6 Scotsdale Valhalla, Spyker Promote 
			 113/26b (Part) & 113/27b (Split) Serica Energy  Traditional 
			 23/16g Serica Energy Endeavour Traditional 
			 48/17d Serica Energy  Traditional 
			 28/10b (Split) Silverstone  Promote 
			 28/5c Silverstone  Promote 
			 28/8 Silverstone  Promote 
			 29/1d Silverstone  Promote 
			 9/12e Silverstone Wilderness Promote 
			 21/29d Sterling Resources  Promote 
			 36/10, 37/6 & 37/7 Sterling Resources  Promote 
			 37/12 & 37/13 Sterling Resources  Promote 
			 42/18 Sterling Resources  Promote 
			 42/2b, 42/3, 42/4 Sterling Resources  Promote 
			 48/18d, 48/23b & 48/28b (Split) Sterling Resources GB Petroleum, Ginger Oil Co. Promote 
			 16/16 (Split) Talisman  Traditional 
			 205/12, 205/13, 205/16b & 205/17 Talisman Rocksource Frontier 
			 22/23c Talisman  Traditional 
			 206/3 & 206/4 Total Chevron, Eni, DONG Traditional 
			 3/8f (Part) Total  Traditional 
			 44/21e Tullow  Traditional 
			 48/28b (Split), 52/3 (Part), 52/4b (Part) & 52/5b Tullow  Traditional 
			 110/10 Valhalla Scotsdale, Spyker Promote 
			 49/10c Venture Production (GMA) Ltd (was CH4)  Traditional 
			 22/1b Veritas  Traditional 
			 29/4g Veritas  Promote 
			 30/19b Veritas  Promote 
			 47/22 & 47/23 (Split) Virgo Oil & Gas Montrose Industries Promote 
			 38/20, 38/25, 39/16 & 39/21 Wham Energy  Promote 
			 38/29, 38/30, 39/26 & 44/5 Wham Energy  Promote 
			 44/27c Wham Energy  Promote 
			 47/6 Wham Energy GTO Limited Promote 
			 49/22b Wham Energy  Promote 
			 44/13 (Split) Wintershall  Traditional 
			 49/20c, 49/24b, 49/25b & 50/21 Wintershall  Traditional 
			 *(Part): Part blocks are those where a company has only requested a portion of the available block 
			 *(Split): Blocks may be split as a way of dealing with the differing prospectivity focus of competing applications 
			 *Operator: Some further approvals may be required for operations

General Commissioners: Amalgamation of Divisions

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: I have made an order under Section 2 (6) of the Taxes Management Act 1970 amalgamating a number of divisions in Dorset, Hampshire, London, West Sussex, Gwent and the Tees Valley as follows:
	With effect from 1 February 2007
	New Forest East Division and Wessex Division are merged into New Forest East & Wessex Division.St Paul Covent Garden Division and St Giles in the Fields & St George Bloomsbury Division are merged into Bloomsbury & Covent Garden Division.North Dorset Division and West Dorset & Weymouth Division are merged into North Dorset, West Dorset & Weymouth Division.Bedwellty Division, Monmouth Division, Newport Division and Pontypool Division are merged into Gwent Division.Part of the West Sussex Western Division (that part being the area which formerly constituted the Shoreham Division) is merged into the West Sussex Northern Division.Aldershot Division and Basingstoke Division are merged into Aldershot and Basingstoke Division.
	And with effect from 25 April 2007
	Hartlepool with Stockton Division and Teesside South with Langbaurgh Division are merged into Tees Valley Division.
	All the amalgamations were made at the request of the general commissioners in all the divisions with the aim of improving the organisational efficiency of the divisions concerned. I have placed copies of the order amalgamating the divisions in the Libraries of both Houses.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Rooker: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Peter Hain) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	The Northern Ireland Policing Board is required to be reconstituted on the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, in accordance with the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. In preparation for this I am announcing today my intention to launch a recruitment competition for independent members of the Policing Board and the introduction of legislation to provide for the running of the competition.
	I would like to take this opportunity also to pay tribute to board members past and present for the significant contributions they have made to policing in Northern Ireland.

Regional Development Agencies

Lord Truscott: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions (Margaret Hodge) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have published the reported mid-year output results for 2006-07 for England's regional development agencies. The data show the progress made by the regional development agencies between April and September 2006 in delivering against the core output targets set in RDA corporate plans for 2005-08. The figures cover employment creation and support, business creation and support, leverage of public and private sector infrastructure investment, brownfield land reclamation/redevelopment, and skills development.
	Copies of the mid-year output results have been placed in the House Library and the results have also been placed on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/regional/regional-dev-agencies/rda-performance/page24205.html.

Schools: Draft Admissions Code

Lord Adonis: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Schools and 14-19 Learners (Jim Knight) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On Monday 8 January, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Alan Johnson) laid before Parliament the new School Admissions Code in draft form for 40 days as required by Section 85 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
	This Statement brings to the attention of the House the correction slip which has been issued in respect of the penultimate sentence of paragraph 3 of the introduction (page 7). This currently states:
	"This Code has been made following a consultation under section 85(2) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, as provided by section 40(9) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, and has been approved by Parliament as required under section 85(3) of the 1998 Act".
	This Statement is inaccurate in its description of the prescribed parliamentary procedure, as the draft code in fact attracts the negative procedure. The sentence as corrected should state:
	"This Code has been made following a consultation under section 85(2) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, as provided by section 40(9) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, and having been laid before each House for 40 days as provided by section 85(3) of the 1998 Act".
	The Government apologise for the error. The timing of this new School Admissions Code is crucial. Admission authorities for all schools must complete consultation on their proposed admission arrangements by 1 March, and make a final determination of what these arrangements will be by 15 April in the calendar year before the academic year in which they will apply. The new code must therefore be in force before 1 March 2007 if it is to apply to admissions in September 2008. The Government consider that it would be unacceptable for the unfair practices and criteria that will be prohibited by this new School Admissions Code to be permitted for another year. As the School Admissions Code must be issued in the form of the draft, my department has therefore issued a correction slip to the draft currently laid before both Houses which I have placed in the House Libraries.
	If neither House resolves to reject the code (as corrected), I intend to bring it into force on 28 February 2007. It first affects school admission arrangements currently being determined for entry in the 2008 academic year. The code sets out a strong framework for setting fair and equitable admission arrangements and prohibits the use of unfair criteria so that no child is disadvantaged compared to another in admissions.